HC Deb 12 March 1981 vol 1000 cc409-10W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table on the same basis as table 46.10 in Social Security Statistics 1978, showing the combined value for two children aged 8 and 11 years, of supplementary benefit scale rates, expressed as percentages of average male manual earnings at each uprating since July 1948, including an estimate for November 1980, and showing the average earnings figures used.

Mrs. Chalker

The information is as follows:

Date (1)£ (2)*£ (3) per cent.
July 1948 0.975 6.80 14.3
June 1950 1.10 7.37 14.9
September 1951 1.25 8.25 15.2
June 1952 1.475 8.76 16.8
February 1955 1.575 10.65 14.8
January 1956 1.675 1.46 14.6
January 1958 1.85 12.62 14.7
September 1959 2.10 13.47 15.6
April 1961 2.20 15.07 14.6
September 1962 2.325 15.83 14.7
May 1963 2.55 16.53 15.4
March 1965 3.025 18.69 16.2
November 1966 3.15 20.24 15.6
October 1967 3.35 21.375 15.7
October 1968 3.55 23.00 15.4
November 1969 3.70 25.00 14.8
November 1970 4.00 28.40 14.1
September 1971 4.45 30.70 14.5
October 1972 5.00 35.82 14.0
October 1973 5.45 40.92 13.3
July 1974 6.45 46.21 14.0
April 1975 7.35 54.19 13.6
November 1975 8.35 59.90 13.9
November 1976 9.70 67.66 14.3
November 1977 11.05 74.11 14.9
November 1978 11.85 83.50 14.2
November 1979 13.95 98.56 14.2
November 1980† 18.20 114.63 15.9
(1) Combined value of Supplementary Benefit scale rates aged 8 and 11 years.
(2) Gross average weekly male manual earnings.
(3) Column (1) as percentage of column (2).
* Estimates of gross average weekly earnings derived from the October enquiry relate to full-time male manual workers (aged 21 and over) using the Department of Employment's seasonally adjusted index of average earnings (older series) for interpolation and extrapolation. Does not include family allowance/child benefit.
† Provisional.

Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing supplementary benefit rates for (a) a single person, (b) a married couple, (c) a couple with two children aged 4 and 6 years and (d) a couple with four children aged 3,8, 11 and 16 years, expressed as percentages of net incomes, including family allowance or child benefit, at two thirds of average male manual earnings and at average male manual earnings, in 1948, 1958, 1968, 1978 and an estimate for November 1980.

Mrs. Chalker

I regret that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.